Electrical ear-trumpet.



No. 650,090. Patented May 22, I900. F. M-ACDANIEL.

ELECTRICAL EAR TRUMPET.

(Appliration filed Dec. 1, 1899.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCES MACDAN IEL, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICAL EAR TRLJM PET".

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,090, dated May 22, 19005 Application filed December 1, 1899. Serial No. 738,937. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCES MACDANIEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city,county and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Ear-Trumpets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is based upon the Well-known fact that many people commonly deaf to ordinary soundssuch, for instance, as the sounds of the human voice, music, or similar sounds of ordinary volume-can hear such sounds it produced in the presence of a sound of greater volume. Thus a person who cannot hear when spoken to in the quiet of an ordinary room will be able to hear whispers if taken into a factory and spoken to amid the many sounds due to the operation of machinery. Theoretically this condition is probably due to the influence of the ordinary sound-waves produced by the voice, music, or similar means acting as superposed waves or interfering waves with the influence created by the large sound-waves upon the nervecenters.

Myinvention is based uponthe above-stated fact and in its construction involves the principle of artificially creating near to the nervecenters sound-waves of determined tone and volume.

The mechanical construction of the instrument I prefer to be such that the sound-making apparatus shall be within the instrument and when in use brought into immediate proximity'to the ear and at the same time have the capacity for collecting and directing into the ear external sounds.

I do not limit myself in any wise to the mechanism for producing the sound-waves in the instrument. Preferably,however,the soundwaves will be created by the vibrations of a tuned reed set in motion by alternately making and breaking an electric circuit through a magnet.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate my invention, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of an instrument designed to be connected to the ear, the

circuit connections being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a hand-instrument.

Similar numerals indicate like parts in both figures.

In the drawings, 5 represents the body of the instrument; 6, Fig. 2, a handle by which the instrument may be carried.

The body of the instrument consists of a concave receiver 7, the median portion 8, which incloses the sound-producing mechanism, and the ear-tube 9. Located within the median portion is a magnet 10. Mounted in front of the magnet is a tuned reed 11, which is normally pressed by a spring 12 in contact with a stop 13. The construction of this portion of the apparatus and its circuit connections to the battery 14 are practically the same as in the case of an ordinary electric buzzer.

The tuned reed 11 maybe designed to give any required pitch and volume of sound. The battery 14 may be carried in the pocket of the wearer and a suitable push-button 15 provided, or the battery may be located, as shown in Fig. 2, in the handle of the instrument and a push-button in a convenient position in the handle.

In using the instrument the ear-tube is placed either in the ear or in proximity to the ear. The circuit is then made through the battery, magnet, and reed, which causes the reed to be set in vibration and to create a definite sound.

17 is a deflecting-shield in the interior of ment, means for collecting external sounds, tion of the tuned reed and the exterior sounds and means for transmitting both of said to the ear of the person using the instrument. IO

sounds to the ear of the person using the in- In testimony whereof I affix my signature strument. in the presence of two witnesses. 5 2. An ear-trumpet comprising means for FRANCES MAODANIEL.

creating vibration of a tuned reed, means for WVitnesses: collecting exterior sounds, and means for W. H. PUMPHREY,

transmitting sounds produced by the vibra- J. E. PEARSON. 

